Dragoon High
by Cordero S
Summary: The Dragoons have been reincarnated, and now once more have to save the world...Assuming they can survive the hectic and emotional world of high school first.
1. The New Girl

**DRAGOON HIGH**

Obviously, I based this FanFic on the 2000 Sony Playstation game, _The Legend of Dragoon_. This game quickly became one of the must have titles of the console, and sold very well. I believe it's on the Best-Sellers list now. It was one of the most highly requested games to have a follow-up sequel. Of course that was almost seven years ago. After two years of waiting, it became obvious that Sony Computer Entertainment America was not going to make a sequel, a shame really, seeing as to how good of a game it was. So, I've been playing the game since then. Then, last year, a friend of mine told me about and I decided to write one of my own. I had always wondered what would happen if the Dragoons had to attend high school, so that's what I decided to write my first Fic on. I've changed a few things about the characters like personalities and in a few, hair styles, eye colors, and hair color. If you have any questions to ask about this, just e-mail me at smith_. Thanks and enjoy the Fic.

Prologue: 

_In shadows of their room, she stared down at him as he slept silently. His muscled chest rose and fell steadily in his slumber. She smiled at him, running her fingers through his long, blond hair. She sighed, regretting that she would have to wake him._

_"Dart," she asked softly. He moaned and rolled over pushing into her, making her fall off the bed. She yelped, collapsing on the hard wood floor. Groaning in anguish and pain, she limbed back into bed. She placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him vigorously._

_"Come on Dart, I need to ask you something. Wake up!" She finally screamed. Still, he slept on. She knew he slept like a log but this was totally ridiculous. She shook him even harder. "Dart, I really need to talk to you about something!" _

_He groaned, scratching his head with indifference. _And everything was going so well, _he thought. He turned to face her, and found himself staring at a goddess. Her chestnut brown hair flowed over her soft face; her bright purple eyes glowed like twin lighthouses in the darkness. Her body was a silhouette in the shadows. He smiled at her._

_"Yes dear?" he asked sarcastically. She blushed softly at him not sure how to continue. He waited patiently for her to continue. She looked up at him timidly, trying not to meet his eyes. _

_"Dart I, well, I was w-wondering," she stuttered. He still simply watched her, not sure where this conversation was leading. "Oh, you're going to think this is so strange," she said quickly. He raised an eyebrow. _Well, this should prove to be interesting, _he thought to himself as all kinds of images flooded into his brain._

_"Dart, how long do you think we'll be together?" The question caught him off guard. His smile was plastered on his face. He was incapable of thought. For a second she was afraid he had dozed off, until she saw that his bright sapphire eyes were still open. After a moment he blinked, and seemed to come back to reality. _

_"I'm sorry there love, I think I misunderstood the question that you inquired of me. Could you repeat that?" he said in a feigned civility. She hesitated a little before asking him again._

_"How long do you think we'll be together?" This time his reaction was simple and immediate._

_"WHAT KIND OF FUCKING QUESTION IS THAT?! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN 'HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO BE TOGETHER'?! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR GODDAMN MIND," he yelled angrily. She flinched and began to blush even heavier. Little tears appeared in her eyes, which she quickly batted away. His anger washed away immediately. He sighed heavily, wondering just how their honeymoon went from great to horrible so quickly. _

_He tenderly placed a hand on her face and lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes better. At first she didn't want to look at him and avoided his gaze. He smiled at just how stubborn she could be sometimes._

_"Hey, look at me," he said softly. She finally complied and looked up at him. It was at this moment that he pinched her cheek and pulled it away from her jaw. She yelped in pain and surprise._

_"Daaarrtt!" Tears flooded her eyes again. He laughed and gently began to caress her now swollen cheek. He stared deeply into her eyes as she stared deeply into his._

_"Listen to me and listen to me well," he said in that compelling, intense voice that first made her fall in love with him, "I have no idea why you asked that question of me nor do I really care. But I want you to know now that no matter what, we will always be together." She blinked. A single tear fell from her eye. Without breaking his stare, he whisked it away._

_"Always." He finished. She smiled and laid her head on his chest. He had already begun to doze off when she called his name again._

_"Dart," she asked_

_"Hmm," he responded tiredly. He looked down into her purple eyes._

_"I love you," she smiled at him. He smiled back._

_"I love you too Sha-"_

----------------

CHAPTER 1:

The New Girl

He didn't finish the dream. He never did. Somehow, through some force of nature, he could never finish it. Today that force of nature was time, more distinctly, the high pitched screeching of his much hated alarm clock.

From under a mountain of blankets and pillows, a single sapphire eye gawked at the evil little machine with a mixture of hatred and fury. The annoying flashing red digits on the clock revealed that the time was 6:45 a.m. He rose wearily from his interrupted slumber and yawned lazily. _If he isn't dead already, I'm going to kill the son of a bitch who invented the alarm clock_, he thought menacingly. He glanced over at the bothersome little machine, his irritation levels rising steadily to critical.

"Oh, SHUT-UP," he screamed. In one brisk motion, he removed his large Bastard sword from its scabbard behind him and brought the blade down on the clock, shattering it to pieces. He stared at the remains for a moment, smiling awkwardly to himself.

"I lose more alarm clocks that way." Shrugging, he pushed off his covers and got out of his bed.

"Oh well, fuck it." Dart reached over to his dresser, grabbed a remote, and turned on an expensive digital stereo system. Out of the speakers, _Eagles of Death Metal _blared out, making him sway to the music. He walked to his bathroom, yawning and stretching as he did so. With little emotion he took a long hot shower, and shampooed his hair thoroughly. Yawning some more, he strolled toward his sink. Wiping the condensed steam off the large vanity mirror, he brushed his teeth and shaved. Finally, he looked exasperatingly at the foggy reflection of his huge mass of wet, shoulder length blond hair. After a second, he opened the mirror and pulled out a comb, some hair mousse, and a large industrial sized blow dryer. He sighed again and thought about cutting his hair as he started to style his due.

Fifteen minutes later Dart stepped out of his bathroom, with a head full of large spikes. He walked towards the windows behind his bed and pulled back the shades, bright morning light burst into the room, illuminating it. His eyes slowly adjusted to the light and he smiled at the gorgeous view before him. He was surrounded by a lush forest, full of animals. Behind the forest he could see the large lake, which reflected the sun's light, causing it to shimmer with the morning rays.

He waltzed over to his closet, letting the towel that covered most of his lower body fall to the floor. At only 16 years old, Dartanious "Dart" Feld was already a six foot three inch, 167 pound male knock-out. Thin muscles covered his arms and legs. His chest jutted out almost two inches away from the rest of his body and his stomach was flat enough to eat off of. His sapphire blue eyes blazed in the early morning sunlight. He was the apple of every girl's eye, and yet somehow seemed completely oblivious to it.

Dart opened his closet and sighed. Reaching out, he pushed aside the collection of designer clothes and removed one of ten dry cleaners bags. Inside was the school uniform he hadn't worn since the beginning of summer. He dressed quickly, not wanting to simmer over the idea of classrooms and homework. After he applied some scent-less deodorant followed by some expensive cologne he received for his birthday, Dart was nearly ready for school. Wearing a pair of black creased slacks, polished black dress shoes, a white dress shirt, red blazer, and a half done red tie with the school crest embedded on it, he looked almost preppy. Almost. He put on his red plaid wristwatch (expected to be worn by all students) and grabbed his backpack. After almost 45 minutes, Dart was ready for another year at the Royal Basil Academy.

"Time for the finishing touches," he said in a barely audible whisper. He opened a hidden drawer on the headboard of his large bed and removed a square mahogany box. The box appeared to have no kind of physical opening what-so-ever. He placed his hands on top of it and began to mutter to himself almost soundlessly. Suddenly, a soft light erupted from around the edges of the heavy box; a soft click reverted through the room. Dart opened the magical box and carefully removed the contents inside before closing it again, the magical click once again echoing out.

In his hands were the two most important things in his life; one was a bright red headband, the other was a red gemstone necklace. The headband had been given to him by his mom when he was still just a boy; the necklace had been his father's. Both were now dead. He put them on with much care, as was his morning routine.

Dart walked out of his home, his backpack slung over his shoulder, sword in his right hand, a half drunken bottle of Starbuck's "Double Shot Espresso" in his left, and piece of buttered toast hanging from his mouth. As he walked, he sensed an odd presence behind him. He turned his head slightly, and then lightning fast; he dropped his bag and coffee, pulling his sword from its scabbard simultaneously. He quickly assumed a warrior's stance, his eyes dangerously slit, flickering from one side to another, but he saw nothing before him. Dart lowered his blade, puzzled. Very rarely were his battle senses wrong. Usually, when he thought he felt someone hostile near him, he was right. He stood still for a moment before deciding that it was nothing. He looked down at his feet and watched his coffee slowly mix into the soil underneath. _The worms are going to be hyper today,_ he thought bitterly. Shrugging, Dart sheath his sword and bent down to pick up his bag.

The wind suddenly began to rise. He stood, fully erect, looking up at the sky as a series of clouds rolled slowly past. He stared silently at the formations, his anxiety rising. _Somethings just not right_, he thought warily. "_B-rriinng! B-rriinng! Bitch I know you hear me, pick up your damn phone!" _Dart blinked and quickly answered his cell phone_._

"Hello," he inquired.

"Darty," someone on the other side screamed. Dart smiled brightly, knowing immediately who was calling him.

"Lav-man! What's-up, bro?" Dart's best friend, Lavitz Slambert; age 16, laughed at the other end. Since they had met almost seven years ago, the two had been inseparable. As they grew up, their bond became even stronger to the point where they had become something like brothers. Dart laughed as he walked towards his garage. He pulled out his key chain while talking to his friend.

"So, you ready for your first day back at R.B.A?" Lavitz asked. He pressed the automatic garage opener, raising the doors, allowing sun light to flood in. "Hell yeah! For some reason, I can't help but feel that it's going to be a very interesting year," he said looking back up at the clouds. "Plus, I can't wait to see every one again!" He adjusted the strap on his backpack.

"Yeah, me too. Hey, did Principal Lee call you?" Lavitz wondered. Dart stopped to think. He had been out all last night with a girl he had met over that weekend and didn't get home until sometime after midnight. He didn't check his messages on his home phone or his cell.

"I don't know. Why, he didn't want anything, did he?"

"Uh, yeah! We have a Y.H.G meeting today after school." Dart groaned.

"Oh come on! Is he crazy?! It's only the first day of school! And what about Al's party?" he complained.

"Hmm, yeah well, don't be late Mr. _President_ or Lee and Tasman are gonna have a fit." Dart scowled, looking down at his watch. His eyes widened as he saw the time.

"Damn it, I can't believe it's that late!" On the other end, Dart could hear Lavitz checking his own watch. He almost laughed himself to tears as he heard Lavitz scream in panic.

"Shit, 7:45! Where the hell did all that time go? Shit, this is exactly why I need a car."

"Hey you want me to come pick you up?"

"Good God, no! The way you drive, I'll be better off asking my mom for a lift." Dart blushed angrily as Lavitz started to laugh.

"That shit is not funny."

"Like hell it's not! Ha ha, I'll see you at school. Hey, Ma! Can you drive me to school?" Dart burst out laughing. _Always count on Lavitz for a good laugh_.

"All right man, see you in a few." Dart chuckled.

"Yeah oka-" there was a pause on the other end. Then, "Man, I do not believe this shit right here. I'll see you in a little. No, Mom I seriously need a ride!" Dart started laughing again as he hung up. Shaking his head, he smiled dreamily at his baby, a red and black 1968 Ford GT Mustang that he completely restored himself. He opened the driver door, and sat inside the custom black leather and red suede interior.

"Well sweetie, let's get to school." With that, he threw his things in the back, started the car, _with the Queens of the Stone Age's_ "Go With the Flow"blaring out of his sound system, and drove off.

A shadow peeked out from behind a nearby tree, staring silently at the receding car. _It's almost time,_ he thought. Then the wind picked up, leaves rushing all around him. Just as suddenly as he, appeared he vanished.

*****

Everyone stopped talking as the silver-white Roles-Royce Phantom came to a stop in the Courtyard of the Royal Basil Academy. For a moment it simply sat there, then the driver stepped out and opened the rear suicide door. Those assembled in front of the Courtyard let out a collective gasp as the most radiant creature anyone had ever seen stepped out of the luxurious vehicle. Her long chestnut brown hair, which she wore in a braided ponytail, fell down her back. Her gorgeous legs flashed brilliantly in her short red plaid skirt. Under the folds of her white blouse and red tie, the lines and curves of her amazing body could be easily seen. She easily passed mostly all the other girls up on looks, but the most amazing feature had to be the girl's eyes. Large and bright purple, her eyes entrapped everyone as she looked up into the crowd.

15 year old Princess Shana Nisalis began to blush deeply as she felt the eyes of her new classmates beading down her. Even back home in Mille Seseau, she was often stared at by the citizens or nobility. She hated it. From behind, a hand softly landed on her shoulder. Shana looked up and smiled at the tall girl in the boy's uniform standing with her. Her long red hair flew wildly in the soft breeze. Her jade green eyes burned with perpetual irritation. Even though the first thought many would have at her appearance was "bulldyke", she was an undeniable beauty.

The girl's name was Miranda Stokehaven, and although she was just 16, she was Shana's most trusted body guard and best friend. She stared at the group of people that was quickly starting to become a crowd. Shana watched the tall girl, sure she knew what was about to happen. And sure enough, it did.

Suddenly, Miranda's left eye began to twitch. Her fist began to tremble as she balled them up. Shana sighed, then quickly closed her eyes and jammed both her index fingers in her ears. Not a second later, Miranda exploded at the crowd.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU PIG FUCKING SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF BITCHES THINK YOU'RE STARING AT!!!" The ferocity in the girl's voice as she cursed told all those assembled that she meant business.

"IF YOU LITTLE BASTARDS DON'T GET OUT OF MY SIGHT RIGHT NOW, I WILL SHOVE MY FOOT SO FAR UP EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOUR ASSES YOU'LL BE SHITTING OUT MY SHOELACES FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS!!!" Suddenly everyone began to jump and scatter. People grabbed backpacks, conversations stopped while everyone ran frantically into the school. As suddenly as it happened, it ended. The 400 or students that had gathered in the Courtyard over a matter of hours had disappeared in seconds.

Shana cautiously opened one eye. When she saw that the Courtyard was empty, she opened her other eye and removed her fingers from her ears. She looked back up at Miranda. The girl stood calmly, fixing up her tie like she hadn't just curse out half the student body. She felt Shana's eyes on her. She sighed, already aware that there was a wise crack on its way by the mischievous glint in her friend's eye.

"So Miranda," Shana smiled brightly up at the girl, "how _are_ those anger management classes going?" Miranda smiled down at the young Princess.

"Very well, actually. My shrink says I should be cured in about 70 or so years." The two began to laugh uproariously.

"I guess we should make our way to the office, huh?" Shana asked.

"That would seem like the best thing to do." Miranda went over to the still waiting car, as the driver was getting their backpacks from the trunk. He handed them to her silently, as she insincerely thanked him. Miranda carried both bags while Shana smiled at the driver and waved good-bye. He responded in kind before stepping back into the Phantom and driving away. The driver smiled to himself, as he rode off. _Everything is almost ready,_ he thought. When he was far enough away, he removed his chauffeur's hat, revealing his bright platinum hair. He watched them in the rear view mirror as they walked through the large wooden doors and into the school, unaware that fate had finally caught up with them.

*****

Dart was scared. There was just no other way of saying it. He had that unusual kind of fear, the type that one only feels a few times in their life. He was "I think I'm going to piss my pants" scared. After parking his car in the student lot, Dart walked into the Courtyard at the Royal Basil Academy and stopped immediately. He blinked in a dazed confusion. Ever since the first day he came to R.B.A, the Courtyard had always been filled with students eagerly chatting away, as they waited the ringing of the entrance bell. Now however, the Courtyard was totally empty. Only a few times in the history of the school had the Courtyard ever been empty prior to the sounding of the entrance bell, but _never_ on the social event that was the first day of school.

He walked cautiously to the doors, which seemed to have been burst down, like those who had been outside were in a rush to get in. Seeing this scared Dart even more. He turned around, scanning the area surrounding the Courtyard, unsure of what evils lurched behind the plants and flowers outside the school. Just as he was about to draw his sword (_again_, he thought to himself) he was hit with the odor of the most hated man in R.B.A. if not the entire country. Dart looked up to find himself face-to-belly with the Head of Security, Fruegal Ferdinand. Dart backed up in order to see all of the large man and quickly regretted it.

Fruegal was ugly. Period. His head was three times _smaller_ than the rest of his body, which in turn was three times _larger _than anyone else's. He was big, dirty, and greasy. His dingy uniform clung to his over-sized belly, as he smiled down at Dart with yellowish-green teeth.

"Hello Dart," Fruegal said, sending a wave of fetid breath over to Dart. Dart didn't react to it, he had been around Fruegal too long and knew that any amount of discomfort gave the big piece of shit pleasure. He smiled up at him instead.

"Good morning Fat-ass, how was your summer?" Dart suddenly heard growling and squawking coming from his left side. His smile dropped immediately. He looked over and saw the two ugliest animals that had ever existed. Naturally, they were Fruegal's pets. One was a large brown dog named Guftas of some unknown (probably extinct) breed and the other was a big bird (no relation to the Sesame Street character) named Rodriguez. Alone, anyone of them could cause someone discomfort, together the three put fear into the hearts of students and teachers all the same. Dart stared at the two animals hatefully, while Fruegal chuckled to himself. Dart turned his attention back to the fat bastard. He noticed that the man had a pack of green slips in his hands. Internally, Dart began to curse heatedly, while outwardly he looked as cool as he ever did.

"So, where is everybody? The Courtyard hasn't been this empty since that time all the bathrooms got clogged up and you figured it would be a good idea to take a dump outside," Dart said recalling the horrible moment. It took him nearly three months to get his sense of smell back after that event. Fruegal scowled at him, showing off more of his horrendous teeth.

"Some dyke I've never seen before went ballistic on everyone. Cleared that shit out real quick. Pretty impressive actually." He handed Dart one of the green slips. "Detention form" it read. Dart stared at it for a second before handing it back to Fruegal.

"You didn't write your signature," he said nonchalantly. Fruegal scowled even harder, snatching it back from Dart. It was a well known fact that Fruegal could barely read and write. No one really had the balls to make fun of him because of it besides Dart and his friends. He waited patiently for the grotesque man to finish writing his scribbled signature. While he worked his way through it, Fruegal continued to talk about the early morning events.

"Yeah, I ain't never seen no shit like that before. Chick got outta some expensive hunk of shit an' started screamin' like a banshee. Every one of those little whelps ran in here like roaches in light. Fuckin' hilarious. There was some other girl too. Real cute. Brown hair, nice legs, and purple eyes-" Dart suddenly grabbed Fruegal by his dirty shirt and forced the man to stoop down to Dart's level. The action took him and his pets totally off guard. The animals seemed ready to charge Dart with a vengeance. He glanced over at them, sapphire eyes ablaze with intense rage, piercing into the animal's souls and they stopped immediately. He looked back at Fruegal. Dart stared hard into his beady little mud water brown eyes as Fruegal began to sweat, adding more stains to his already disgusting shirt.

Dart gazed at him coldly as he spoke, "What color did you say her eyes were?" His voice was quiet yet demanding. Fruegal gulped down saliva that had collected in his throat before he spoke again.

"P-Purple," he stuttered. Dart released him and looked down at the floor. He seemed to be thinking about something.

"No, it can't be…can it?" He spoke to himself. Fruegal looked at him, smiling malevolently. _That's right, remember boy_.

"Hmm, today is just getting too weird." Dart shook his head. Fruegal took this as a good time to mess with the blond haired boy. He handed him back his detention form.

"Here you go, _Dartanious_," Fruegal began to laugh at the boy's ridiculous first name. Dart took his detention slip, a little smile on his face.

"You ever call me that again, I'll chop your balls off and feed them to you raw." Fruegal's smile faded quickly. Dart was looking him right in his eye, and Fruegal didn't like what he saw. _He means it_, he thought. Dart smiled brightly at him.

"See ya later, Fat-ass," he said merrily. _Purple eyes_, Dart thought to himself, flashing Fruegal the finger from behind his back as he continued to walk away. The fat man frowned at the handsome boy's receding back, his hatred of him seethed out. He heard the padding of Guftas' paws and felt Rodriguez land on his shoulder. Guftas began to lick his dirty fingers. He watched Dart walk away silently. _Yeah, enjoy yourself now you little blond fucker. Soon I'll be pissin' on your grave._ Fruegal started to laugh as he sucked in his belly and waddled his way into his tightly confined office.

*****

Shana and Miranda stood in the office silently as the school's secretary preened around them. She smiled at them before speaking, "I truly am sorry Princess Nisalis, I have no idea where Principal Lee is." Shana smiled sheepishly at the older woman.

"Oh, it's no trouble really. I'm sure Principal Lee has a lot of work to do. He must be very busy right now. I can completely… understand?" Shana stared at the woman, whose eyes became sharp with rage. Her voice grew deeply agitated, as she glared up at Shana from behind her desk. The young girl took a step back, as the secretary jumped up from her seat. Miranda instantly assumed her bodyguard stance, moving in front of the Princess, her body tensed to counter an attack by the obviously deranged secretary.

"Now see here, no amount of '_work_' should prevent _Principal _Lee from seeing to his students. I don't care how '_busy_' he is!" Suddenly, she began to rant on about how a principal should be where someone he can be found instead of "dilly-dallying about the school like a tourist." The two girls stared at her as she continued, both wondering if she had completely gone off her rocker. Suddenly, the door to the office opened and in walked a small, yet stocky, middle aged man. His deep bronze skin glistened in the bright lights of the office. His well trimmed beard took years away from his pleasant, albeit slightly wrinkled face. His dark amber eyes were barely evident due to how puffy and tight his eyelids were. Shana couldn't understand how he could possibly see through them. He wore a cream colored suit with a light magenta dress shirt and a matching tie with what looked like a thunderbolt going through it. He sighed as he closed the door behind him.

"Whew! You just gotta _love_ the first day of school. Any calls Martel?"

The secretary named Martel stared at him for a moment before sitting back down at her desk.

"No, Principal Lee, but you do have visitors." She pointed over to the girls cowering over in the corner. He seemed to notice Shana and Miranda for the first time. He smiled brightly at them.

"Hello," he said pleasantly. Shana smiled back at him, while Miranda stared suspiciously at the secretary.

"Hi," she said. He walked up to Shana, grabbed her hand and began to shake it vigorously. If possible, his smile grew larger as he began to talk.

"It is a true pleasure to meet you young ladies. Who are you?" It was silent in the office. Shana and Martel's jaws were almost to the floor as they stared at Principal Lee. Miranda chuckled softly to herself, the only one who seemed to find humor in the situation.

"Good Soa, Principal Lee," the secretary's eyes glowed irritably, "this is Princess Shana Nisalis of-"

"Mille Seseau," he finished for her, "I know Martel, I just wanted to see what you would do if I said that." He continued to smile; he seemed to be a bit amused at the woman's annoyance with him. He looked over at Miranda, who had just stopped laughing.

"Which means you must be Miranda Stokehaven of the Sacred Sisters." She nodded at the man to whom she took an immediate liking to him and his treatment of the lunatic secretary. He smiled and shook her hand as well.

"I'm Haschel Xiang Lee, the Principal here at the Royal Basil Academy. I believe we have some things that we need to discuss, so let's precede to my office. Martel, hold my calls." He opened his door and allowed the girls to enter first.

*****

Dart walked quickly towards his locker, Senses Fail blaring out the earphones of his red Zune. His blond spikes bounced as he bobbed his head back and forth, mouthing along with words to one of their songs. As he walked, he became distinctly aware of the girls staring at him lustily. He ignored them. By now he was completely used to being stared at; he had received them for different reasons when he was a boy. His stroll became more casual as he turned the corner that lead to the locker he had since his first year. He stopped and smiled at the familiar faces standing by, turning down the volume on his Zune so he could hear what they were arguing about this time.

"Look, Weezer ain't shit!" one boy said. He was tall, at least 7 foot 8, with deep brown skin, honey brown eyes, muscles, and a Mohawk so huge he could have easily made even the hardcorest _80's_ punk rocker blush. He was talking to a boy with long chestnut brown hair, light blue eyes, and pale skin, a sign of his days as a career book worm. The other boy scoffed.

"Oh, come on! How can you think Weezer sucks? They're a great band!" He said exasperatingly. The first boy laughed.

"Please, the only people who listen to Weezer are freaks, geeks, and nerds, no offense Albert." He raised his hands defensively as the boy named Albert glared up at him.

"Yeah, well Lenny Kravitz sucks monkey ass!"

"Hey, don't you dog out Lenny! He'd kick the shit out of all them band geek sons of bitches you talking about all by himself! And watch that 'monkey ass' shit. Just because Lenny is black, you ain't got any right to call him a monkey." Albert laughed.

"First off, I said he 'sucks monkey ass', I did not call _him_ amonkey. And besides, he is half Jewish too, Kongol." The tall boy gasped loudly.

"Hey now, watch that shit."

"But he is," Albert said with disdain. Kongol shook his head.

"In black society, if you're one percent black, you still black. Ergo, Lenny Kravitz is black. Hell, just look at that complexion. You don't see no Jewish in that! That is pure Negro." Albert folded his arms across his chest.

"That is the biggest load of horseshit I have ever heard." Dart shook his head as he walked over.

"You guys are sick," he chuckled. The two boys turned towards him and smiled. He grinned back at them.

"Hey Dart, what's up?" Kongol asked. A Gigantos, Kongol Barbarous came from a tough childhood. After his people had been just about wiped out due to warfare, Kongol had been just about been enslaved for a good part of his life. After he had been liberated and had been given residence in Basil. Dart shrugged, took off his Zune and stashed it in his pocket. Albert patted him on the shoulder.

"Hello Dart," he smiled brightly.

"Hey Albert. You are still having that party tonight, right?" The boy looked at Dart, his eyes bright with mischief.

"Of course." The three laughed. Every year, Albert threw an awesome, "Last Day of Freedom" party. Beginning from just after the first day of school until the wee hours of the following morning, it was probably the most important party of the year. Not showing up was the easiest way to fall to the bottom of the social food chain. After all, Albert was the next king of Basil.

His full name was Alberto Antonio Vasquez IX, Prince of the Royal Duchy of Basil, Duke of the Kingdom of Tiberoa, Chief of the Basilian Knighthood, and the rightful Heir to the Unified Serdian Crown, but he simply preferred Albert Vasquez. Unlike many Princes, he was not egotistical or arrogant. In fact he was extremely down to earth and caring. He didn't allow his titles to get to his head. As far as he was concerned he was just an ordinary teenager who happened to have his own country. He was already being heralded as one of the most beloved kings of Serdio.

"Dart," someone screamed out. He turned to face his best friend running towards him.

"Lavitz," he screamed back, rushing towards him. They exchanged greetings before rejoining their friends. The four adolescents began to talk about the party, while each opened their side by side lockers. Lavitz's hair was almost the same shade of blond as Dart's but much shorter with less spikes, his green eyes glimmered with joy. His uniform was just about the same as every other male's except he wore a pair of unfastened black suspenders that fell to legs. The two best friends grew up much the same way; without their father's. Lavitz's father, Servi Slambert was an internationally renowned Knight. A soldier of extreme prestige, Servi was known for his virtuosity and sense of honor (as well as humor). It was believed that he was destined to become Grand Marshall of the Knight Garrison. That was of course, before he was murdered before the outbreak of the Civil War that split the country in half. It was widely believed that he was assassinated by one of his own officers. It was a subject Lavitz never brought up, and no one ever asked about.

"So what classes do you guys have? I have Advanced Placement Magic Skills first," Albert said gliding his elegant silver shafted lance into his locker. Dart looked over at him in disbelief.

"A.P Magic Skills? I barely passed pre-MS, and you decide to get the A.P course? Jeez man, that's heavy." He hung his sword up in his locker and adjusted his blazer and tie. Lavitz groaned as he tried to squeeze his chestnut shafted spear into his superbly junky locker.

"Just because your about as smart as a door knob doesn't mean everyone else has to be." The others laughed as Dart turned towards him.

"Hey, Lav," the second blond glanced over at him, "I know the perfect place where you can stick that spear." He chuckled as Lavitz flipped him the bird.

"I got History of Endiness first. Talk about fucking boring," Kongol sighed, as he tenderly slid his huge double edged ax into his locker.

"What about you Dart," Albert questioned. Dart winked over at him.

"Warrior Skills with Master Tasman." They all laughed.

"I got that first hour too!" Lavitz and Dart high fived each other. Master Tasman's classes were the best courses for anyone who wanted to become a knight, a mercenary, or a soldier. He gave amazing lessons on survival skills, proper weapons maintenance, and other soldier necessities.

Just then, a huge burst of air crashed into those assembled in the hall. Papers fluttered onto the floor as students attempted to figure out what had just hit them. Dart looked down, finding a tiny girl who couldn't have been any older than 13, doubled over, staring up at him with eyes brimming with excitement. She panted, trying to collect her breath. By the looks of things, it seemed she had been running very fast.

"Hi Dart," she wheezed out. He smiled timidly.

"Sup, Isha. How's Lowe?" He asked. She stood waving off the question.

"Who cares? You and I have things to discuss," she said dreamily. He cocked an eyebrow, looking cagily over at his friends. Although they tried to hide it, they softly giggled like school girls behind him.

"Ok, what do you want to talk about?" His voice was extremely soft, his eyes flickering around at the other students who were now pointing at him. Isha smiled brightly at him.

"Oh, well there is so much, like me and you having dinner one night." Suddenly loud explosions of laughter erupted from behind him. Dart turned and stared at his friends, who now were laughing themselves to tears. He groaned with embarrassment. _I'm never gonna live this shit down_, he figured. He looked back at Isha, who seemed not to notice the huge gales of laughter coming from the others.

"But, unfortunately, _for now_," she emphasized, "it's all business." Dart smiled nervously down at the girl.

"W-What do you mean," he stammered. She sighed.

"Principal Lee wants to speak with you." He lost his smile completely then, and looked back at his friends who shrugged at him. He looked down at the girl inquisitively.

"Do you happen to know why he wants me?" She shook her head no. He groaned as he wondered to himself, _what the hell did I do_ _now_? He closed his locker, the built-in lock clicking dully and the magical seal that he had put on himself (after that incident in the 7th grade where a couple of groupies stole his combination and started dumping hundreds of love letters a day into his private domain, and stealing some of his…unmentionables) flashed indicating that it was in place. He turned and smiled back at the girl.

"Well, lead the way." She squealed, and began to walk back towards the office. He looked back and waved at the guys.

"I'll see you in class Lav," Lavitz waved back. Dart pointed at Albert and Kongol.

"And I'll see you two later." They all waved and continued to talk, probably wandering why Lee wanted to see Dart so early in the day. Dart turned back towards the girl.

"You sure you don't why he wants to see me," he asked nervously. She giggled and shook her head no again. Dart groaned for what had to be the hundredth time that day.

"This is the worst first day of school _ever_." He muttered as they walked towards the office.

*****

"So ladies," Haschel said, "I hope you understand the rules of our fine institution." Shana and Miranda sluggishly nodded their heads yes. For almost five minutes, Principal Lee had lectured them on how they were to behave in the school. He spent most of his time telling them one simple thing, "You may be royalty, but that does _not_ make you any better than any of the other students." All the while, Shana tried to explain that she felt the exact same way. After their discussion, Haschel pressed a button on his desk.

"Martel, is our new office aid in yet?" He asked. The door opened and in walked Martel. Everyone turned to look at her, as she appeared to be distinctly aggravated. _Which is probably normal_, Shana pondered

"Yes she is, Principal Lee. Want me to send her in?" He blinked at her for a moment then pressed his intercom button again.

"You are supposed to answer through your intercom, that's why I had them installed." Her eyes flashed angrily as she turned and slammed the door behind her, a scream of intense anger could be well heard through the wooden door. Shana and Miranda turned back to Haschel, a large smile on his face.

"I just love messing with that woman." Shana looked horrified however Miranda found the constant torment of the woman to be totally hilarious. The intercom buzzed, and Martel began to speak. "Yes_ Principal_ Lee, she is. Would you like me to send her in," She spoke slowly trying to conceal the anger that she felt. Miranda held back a laugh, while Principal Lee chuckled softly.

"Yes Martel, please do. Thanks." He leaned back in his chair, a content little smile on his face.

"How does she put up with you," Shana wondered aloud. Principal Lee thought about that for a moment then shrugged.

"Honestly, I have no idea." The door opened and a small blond haired girl walked in. She smiled at the principal.

"Good morning Principal Lee." She beamed brightly.

"Good morning, Isha. How do you like your first day back so far?" The girl shrugged.

"It's okay; I had to walk my little brother Lowe to class. My mom seems to think he can't take care of himself, so now I have to take him everywhere with me in school. He even has to_ sit_ with me and my friends at lunch. Ugh!" Haschel laughed at her distaste. She smiled sheepishly and looked over at the two girls seated in front of him. Her eyes widened with fear as she stared at Miranda.

"You're that crazy girl who screamed at everybody today." Shana couldn't help but smile at the girl's apparent innocence. _Cute girl_, Miranda thought sarcastically, a thin smile on her face. Haschel looked blankly at Isha, not sure what she was talking about.

"Is everything okay?" His bewildered eyes flickered between the three girls in his office. Isha quickly looked away from Miranda and back at Haschel.

"Oh, yes, everything is fine. Is there something you want me to do, sir," she beckoned with rapidity, eying Miranda apprehensively. Haschel looked at them doubtfully as he spoke.

"Yes actually, do you know who Dartanious Feld is?" Her cheeks flushed and her eyes grew wide again, this time with excitement.

"Are you kidding? Everyone knows _that_ boy!" Martel screamed from outside the office. They all looked, noticing that she was staring into the office through the opened door. Isha giggled. Shana and Miranda both looked at each other, the same question on their minds, _who the_ hell _is Dartanious Feld_. Haschel looked at Martel, then casually glanced back at Isha. He looked at the clock on his desk.

"Right now I'm guessing he is at his locker, you know, the one in E wing?" The young girl shook her head vigorously. Martel smacked her lips with irritation.

"Oh, come on! You know she knows where his locker is. Everyone knows where _that_ boy's locker is!" Martel chimed in again. Haschel raised an eyebrow. He didn't seem to be amused with her constant interruptions.

"Isha, could you close the door," he requested. She shakily did so. Martel craned her head as far as she could until the door slid to a close. Haschel sighed.

"Any who," he continued, "Isha, I would like for you to go and find him. Tell him that I need to see him immediate-" His already thin eyes thinned even more as a rush of dust and papers blew against him. Shana screamed as she and Miranda were blown out of their seats. They looked up to see young Isha gone, a hole in the shape of her body etched in both the door to Haschel's office and the main office. Slivers of wood were scattered everywhere. He sat up, cradling his face in his hands.

"-ly," he finished, shaking his head. Shana coughed, waving dust away from her face, while Miranda stood brushing her pants off. She looked over at Haschel.

"When was the last you dusted this place," she asked. He smiled.

"Last year," he replied earnestly, while nodding his head. Miranda chuckled, continuing to brush herself off. Shana adjusted her skirt and tie, wondering why the young girl had been in such a rush to find this _Dartanious_ boy. By the tone of Martel's voice, he of some kind of importance, why would Principal Lee summon him during their meeting? It took them a few minutes to get themselves back in order.

Just when everything seemed to have settled down, a high pitched squeal came from Martel in the other office followed by laughter.

"Dart sweetie, how was your summer?" There was an inaudible reply then Martel began to laugh. Shana watched as Haschel walked quickly across the distance of his office through his broken door, his large smile back on his face.

"Hello Dart!" He laughed, raising his arms. Shana could see two arms embracing Principal Lee lovingly.

"Hey Haschel, how are you? Oh, Lavitz told me that you called him last night. If you called me too, I'm sorry that I missed you. I didn't get home until about 12:30." Haschel laughed, waving it off.

"Don't worry about it; I'm sure Lavitz already told you about our meeting later. Listen, I have a request of you," he looked back at them, "Girls, would you mind coming out here, please?" Shana looked back at Miranda, who simply shrugged and grabbed their bags. Shana walked out of the office and immediately stopped in her tracks, as she set eyes on the most beautiful boy she had ever seen.

*****

Dart's jaw dropped as he stared at the door to the office, Isha's body outline distinctly carved into it. He looked down at small girl, who was blushing scarlet.

"I guess I got a little excited when Principal Lee told me to go find you."

" 'A little' ?" She smiled shyly. He chuckled as he walked through what remained of the door, into the office he was more than familiar with. He smiled as he saw another familiar sight.

"Hey Martel," he said lightly. She looked up from the papers she had been sorting out, beaming at Dart. She began to laugh as she ran over and gave Dart a huge hug.

"Dart sweetie, how was your summer?" He blushed, grinning down at her. When he was younger, he used to have a huge crush on Martel. She was a beauty in all sense of the word. Long brown fell down her back, her brown eyes full of life. In her tight yellow suit, her ample body and large bosom shown through entrancingly. She was the dream of every adolescent boy. Well, almost. Dart had a different dream girl, one that had been haunting him for almost a year. That didn't stop him from admiring her of course.

"Exhausting," he said. "I must have gone to about 100 parties this summer. But then, I have certain social responsibilities that I must meet, being the most popular male in school and all." He smiled at his own false arrogance, Martel's laughter filling the room once more.

"Hello Dart!" He looked up, his smile immediately widening. Haschel Lee, one of the most important people in his life, beamed at him from across the office, his arms open, waiting for a hug. Dart ran over to him, embracing him like the old friend he was.

"Hey Haschel, how are you," he beckoned. The old man shrugged. He opened his mouth to speak but Dart cut him off.  
"Oh," he said, smacking his head, "Lavitz told me that you called him last night. If you called me too, I'm sorry I missed you. I didn't get home until about 12:30." Haschel laughed merrily at him.

"Don't worry about it; I'm sure Lavitz already told you about our meeting later. Listen, I have a request of you," he looked out into his office, "Girls, would you mind coming out here, please." Dart cocked an eyebrow, not sure where the conversation was going. Then he saw her.

His mouth fell open as he literally came face to face with the girl of his dreams. The long chestnut brown hair, perfect porcelain skin, and her eyes, those gorgeous purple eyes that haunted his dreams for so long. He had heard of fate, but never believed in it until then.

She stopped in her tracks the moment she stepped out of Haschel's office. She began to blush, as they stared at each other for what seemed like hours. He was only faintly aware of the tall red head girl who stepped out after the first girl. Nor did he totally hear Haschel speak to him. It seemed as if everything else ceased to exist except the two of them. A hand on his shoulder and a quick jolt brought him back to reality. Simultaneously, the red head shook the brown haired girl back to awareness. His cheeks burned with embarrassment. _What is wrong with me! This has never happened to me before_. His heart was pounding in his chest. It seemed so loud to him, he was surprised no one else heard it. He looked over at Haschel, who was staring at him as if he had temporarily lost his mind.

"Are you alright, Dart," he asked worriedly. Dart nodded.

"Yeah, fine," his mouth was dry, the words barely audible. The older man smiled. He looked over at the two girls.

"Well, as I was saying. Dart I would like to introduce you to our two newest students," he pointed at the taller girl first. "This is Miranda Stokehaven, of the Sacred Sisters of Mille Seseau," now understanding why Haschel had sent for him, Dart bowed slightly at the waist. He was more than aware of the country, but unaware of the nature of the title she held. She simply nodded her head in acknowledgment. Her jade eyes stared at him menacingly. He rose, looking back at the purple-eyed girl. She stepped forward, blushing ever so deeply.

"And this," Haschel said airily, "Is Her Royal Highness, The Princess Shana Lunala Nisalis of Mille Seseau." Dart's mind began to race. _A Princess?_ He closed his eyes and bowed as low as he could without falling over on his face or kneeling. "Kneeling was a sign of subservience. Never kneel to a foreign monarch," he remembered Master Tasman telling him once.

"It is a true pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Your Majesty." He stood; his eyes level with The Princess'. Sapphire melted with amethyst as they stared into each others eyes, neither being able to look away. He spoke again, proudly, but not arrogantly.

"I am Sir Dartanious Feld of Basil, member of the Royal Prince of Basil's Court." She smiled at him, reaching out her hand. He took it, squeezing softly, kissing the back of her hand dryly. He smiled back at her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Sir Dartanious Feld," she said softly.

"If it is alright with Her Highness, I would prefer it if she called me 'Dart'. Dartanious isn't a name I would like to be called every time Her Majesty and I should happen to meet." She blushed once more. She thought for a moment then stared up into his eyes. He tried not to blink, wanting to savor every moment of her gorgeous gaze.

"Alright, but only under one circumstance," he cocked his head curiously, "We cut the 'Your Highness' crap and you just call me 'Shana'." Dart laughed at her bluntness, every one else in the room seemed surprised at her set of words.

"Princess," the girl named Miranda gasped. Shana looked back at her and smiled. For the first time, Dart noticed that the tall red-headed girl was wearing a boy's uniform. Surprisingly enough, it actually looked pretty good on her. Shana once again grabbed his attention.

"Agreed. You don't call me 'Dartanious' and I won't give you the 'Your Majesty' treatment." She smiled sweetly up at him. All he could do was blush. Haschel stepped in between them, softly parting the two teens' hands.

"Well, now," he said noisily, "You two hit it off pretty well, I think." Dart and Shana looked at him apprehensively. Miranda stepped up besides Shana, her eyes plastered on Dart, who tried to avoid her harsh gleam.

"So Dart, down to the reason why I called you here," Dart looked over at Haschel, "I would like for you to show Ms. Nisalis and Ms. Stokehaven around the school for the first week." Dart mouth formed a big "o" of surprise. Show them around the school? Talk about luck.

He looked at the girls, in particularly Shana, "It would be my pleasure." She blushed once more, while Miranda was left rolling her eyes. Haschel smiled.

"Excellent! Now if I'm correct, you all have Master Tasman's class together." He looked at his Rolex watch. "You all should probably leave for his class now. The way that man is, if you're any later than you already are, I won't even be able help you. Here," he reached out to Martel and she handed him three magenta shaded cards. He then handed Dart and the girls a slip each, "It's a hall pass and an excuse note, good for the entire week. It voids all detentions due to _tardiness_ _only_ Dart. Nothing else, got it?" Dart smiled as he took his pass.

"Hey, come on Haschel what do you take me for, a delinquent?" Haschel sighed.

"Yeah well, get going, you have classes." With that, he shoved them out of the office, and shut what was left of the door behind them, though there was no real point to it.

_______________________________________________________________________

End of Chapter I

Chapter II will be up soon.

Please Review and thanks for reading!


	2. As The Day Goes By

**DRAGOON HIGH**

By:

**Cordero S.**

Hi again. This is the second chapter to my FanFic "Dragoon High". This story puts the characters of The Legend of Dragoon in the hectic environment of high school. As of yet, I have no idea how long it is going to be, so stick with me here. If you have any questions or comment, please e-mail me at smith_. Thank you for your support.

Chapter 2:

As the Day Goes By

As the three teens walked down the hallway together, Dart found himself fascinated with Shana. In the few moments of conversation they shared, Dart felt as if they had known each other forever. She was funny, smart, well-spoken, and extremely easy to talk to. He took an immediate liking to her. Miranda on the other hand was another story. The girl seemed to enjoy interrupting Dart's attempts to get to know Shana. She was short-tempered, pushy, and down right unpleasant to be around. He was beginning to severely dislike the girl (and her cock-blocking ways).

"So, if I may ask, why is a Princess taking Master Tasman's class?" Shana looked up at him smiling. Before she had the chance to speak, Miranda interrupted again.

"The same reason you are," she said. Dart cocked his head, his irritation peaked. He stopped and turned to face the tall redhead.

"Please Miranda, would you elaborate on that for me, if you don't mind," Dart asked, her attitude was finally starting to get to him.

She answered him with a thin humorless smile, "Of course not Dart, I would be more than happy to." Then she took a deep breath, and Dart immediately regretted asking his question.

"The Princess comes from a warrior family. Her father, the late Admiral Irving DeAmos, served as Commander of all Naval Forces in the Mille Seseauen Navy. His family members are all distinguished members in the military, and have served the country many times over. They are national heroes who are highly respected by the citizenry and nobility. Shana's mother, Queen Theresa Nisalis is the heiress to the Nisalis bloodline of Warrior Queens. Every Nisalis lady is trained at birth to be able to defend and lead her homeland in times of need. Every generation of Nisalis is also expected to know how to fight, in order to be able to prove her dominance if her birthright should be challenged by a rival. So, Princess Shana too is being trained in combat. She's a highly skilled Archer and is proficient in the martial arts," Miranda said proudly, staring at Dart. His jaw was slightly ajar, as he took in all of Miranda's impromptu description of Shana's family heritage.

"Wow," was all he managed to say. Miranda seemed pleased with herself, until Dart glanced over at Shana who was blushing heavily. He smiled wickedly and pointed a thumb towards the redhead.

"What do you do, pay this broad to spout out your families' history to everybody?" Miranda's smug expression disappeared as Shana eyed them both nervously. He smiled, silently looking the tall girl over. Her face was so red it almost matched her hair. Shana trembled slightly as she stood between Dart and Miranda who was giving Dart a death glare. He simply smiled at the girl.

"And what the _hell_ is that supposed to mean, you son of a bitch?" Miranda spit vehemently. Dart cocked an eyebrow.

"It means," he began," that I didn't ask you to tell me _all_ about Shana's history. If I wanted to know that I would have asked _her_. All I wanted to know was why you guys wanted to take Tasman's class. I _did not_ want to know what position Shana's father held in the Navy. I _did not _want to know that every member of Shana's family were warriors. All I _did_ was ask 'Why are you taking Master Tasman's class? That was it! That was all!" He and Miranda glared at each over Shana's small form as she pushed them away from each other.

"That will be quite enough!" Shana groaned as she separated the two teens. She stared exasperatingly at Miranda, her anger with the girl more than evident. She shoved the girl away from Dart, just far enough for him to not hear their conversation.

----------------

"What is your problem," she angrily whispered. Miranda looked down at her shoes avoiding Shana's eyes.

"That boy is a member of the Prince's Court. Here you are, the First Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau, my _personal _bodyguard, getting into an argument with a Basilian Noble of all people. Is this how you show your respect for my mother?" Miranda immediately looked at Shana her eyes brimming with tears.

"No of course not, Your Highness." Miranda said softly. Shana did not let up her assault on the Sacred Sister.

"We are supposed to be here to represent our people Miranda, and you are acting like an immature child. This morning was understandable, but what you just did is not. You have embarrassed yourself. In fact," Shana lifted her hand and Miranda flinched ever so slightly. Though she took note of it, Shana did not stop as she started counting things off on her fingers, "you embarrassed your other Sisters, you embarrassed our people, you embarrassed our country, you embarrassed my mother," she stopped. Although she tried to hide them, Shana could she a constant stream of tears falling down Miranda's face. Shana reached up and grasped the girls face and lifted it so that they were eye to eye. She spoke tenderly, "And you embarrassed me. Your best friend." Shame and regret flooded Miranda's eyes.

"I'm sorry," she bellowed. Shana smiled, knowing that she was.

"I know, but you cannot keep doing this. You cannot turn every new person you meet into an enemy. Dart is a good guy, and you are ruining your friendship with him before it even starts. Okay?" Miranda nodded her head wiping her tears from her face.

"Now go apologize. And be sincere," she added with chuckle. Miranda smiled and walked over to Dart who had evidently cooled off as well.

----------------

"Sorry I went bitch on you," Miranda said softly. Dart smiled at her.

"Aw, don't worry about it. You just got 'First Day Jitters'. It happens." Miranda smiled at him, surprising Dart with how pretty she was when she wasn't scowling. The first bell sounded then as the last few stragglers ran down the hall towards their classes. Dart groaned and motioned for Shana to come over quickly.

"We need to hurry and get to class. Master Tasman has a strict policy and we are not following it." He turned and began to sprint down the hall, forcing the girls to keep up his pace. Shana couldn't help but be impressed with Dart's running. His feet barely seemed to touch the ground as he ran down the hall. Miranda kept up Dart's pace easy as she gracefully bounded through the halls like a deer. Neither seemed to be running out of breath and were even able to talk about Master Tasman's class.

"So, what is this policy," Miranda asked in between breaths. Dart looked over at her a little smirk on his lips.

"Oh, you're going to love this. 'To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, and to be late is to get my foot jammed in your ass." He finished with a chuckle. Miranda laughed a little.

"He sounds like a real hard-ass," she said. Dart shook his head.

"No way, Tasman's an icon around here. He's the best in his field. To get his class is small blessing from God." Dart turned a corner with Miranda right on his heels. Shana trailed behind, still in ear shot of the other two.

"Why...do you...say...that," she panted. Dart looked back at her, slowing his pace just a little. He smiled.

"Because his class has a waiting list."

"A waiting list," Miranda asked.

"A huge one, students start applying in the 8th grade just to get in. Most don't. I'm actually a little surprised that a couple of newbies like you two were able to." Dart began to slow down some more once they turned the next corner. He smiled broadly as the two girls stopped beside him. He turned and looked at them.

"We're here," he said taking in a quick relieving breath. _And only a minute late_, he thought. He gave himself only a moment to gaze up at the two large old wooden doors before he walked towards them. He looked at the two girls as he put his hands on the cold tarnished bronze door handles.

"What?" Both Shana and Miranda stared at the ugly old doors inquisitively. It seemed strange to them that such an important class would have such a distasteful looking entryway.

"Well," Shana chimed, "It's not what I was expecting." Dart smiled.

"Don't let the doors fool you," he chuckled as he wrenched them open. The two girls' squinted as a burst of bright light erupted from behind the double slabs of old wood, blinding them.

"Welcome to Master's Hall," Dart said before walking though the doors. Shana and Miranda followed behind.

*****

"Where is Dart," a curt girl with raven black hair asked Lavitz as she sat down in a seat next to him on his right. The short haired blond looked over at the girl who was staring at him, waiting for a response. He sighed, as he lifted his face from his hands, a thin little smile on his face.

"Hello Rose, my little ray of darkness. How are you today?" The girl cocked an eyebrow at his teasing. Lavitz's smile grew as he saw a hint of humor in the girls' dark blue eyes, though her face still remained impassive. Rosaline Slade (a.k.a Rose), age 16, was a beauty. Her dark hair fell down her shiny alabaster skin adding shadow and mysticism to her gorgeous face. Her blue eyes sparkled dully with wisdom beyond her years. On her fingernails she wore black fingernail polish which glistened in the light. Much like Dart had his headband; Rose wore a silver choker around her neck that she was never seen without which glistened from underneath the collar of her dress shirt and tie.

"Dart is-" Rose said strumming her fingers across the long table they were seated behind. Lavitz chuckled as he answered.

"-Talking to Principal Lee. He might still be in the office."

"Why does Haschel want to talk to him," she wondered. Lavitz shrugged.

"Damned if I-" he stopped talking. His attention had been diverted to something behind Rose. She turned to see what was wrong, and found herself facing a boy who was sitting next to her. He looked at her as if she should have been fawning all over him; a tiny spark of annoyance immediately went off in Rose's mind.

"Excuse me, dude," Lavitz said. The guy turned his attention on Lavitz. "I don't mean to be rude, but all the seats at this table are taken." The boy looked over at Lavitz menacingly.

"So," Lavitz was taken aback by his disrespectful response to such a minor thing as a seat. Rose on the other hand, saw a chance to have some fun.

"So," she said to him, "get your ass up and move." Her low pert voice somehow resonated through Master's Hall, causing everyone to look at them. The boy, realizing he was at the center of attention, tried to make a spectacle of the argument. He jumped up, thrusting his hands up as if accepting challenges.

"Or else what? You gonna to make me _bitch_," he asked loudly. There was a unified collective of "ohh's" emanating throughout the Hall. Lavitz had recovered from his surprise of the boys' attitude and had become thoroughly pissed with the boy's disregard of his friend.

"No, she won't," he stood as well and faced the boy, "But I will." Lavitz's balled his fist as the boy shivered in mock fear. Rose grabbed her friend's hand. Lavitz looked down at her, a thin little smile on her face and an evil glint in her eye that immediately made Lavitz realize she had something planned.

"Sit down," the words were chillingly cold and equally frightening. Lavitz slowly sat down, not breaking eye contact with the asshole in front of him. The boy laughed.

"You see that, big bad Lavitz Slambert takes orders from a bitch. I guess all the balls in your family died with your old man, huh," he laughed even harder while no one else did. Lavitz turned beet red. Rose stood, her thin smile still plastered on her face. The boy looked at her, smirking.

"What?" Rose's smile suddenly disappeared and was replaced with the scariest expression ever seen on the face of a human being. The boy's smirk receded as he began to understand the massive mistake he had only seconds ago made. What ensued after that was the greatest (albeit the shortest) ass whooping ever seen in R.B.A history. So amazing was this ass kicking, that it is impossible to even write a description of it. So spectacular was this assault, that it remains legendary to all those who attend R.B.A. even today. After it was over the boy was laying on the floor, gripping what was left of his manhood, blood spewing forth from his nose and mouth, and crying like a child. Rose stood over him panting, a content look on her face. Lavitz had doubled over and collapsed from laughing so hard, as most of the class had as well.

Rose bent down until she was eye to eye with the boy. He squirmed as stared into cold blue eyes.

"Well, who's the 'bitch' now," the boy whimpered like a dog as everyone stared. "I hope you learned a valuable lesson today," Rose said to the boy on the ground, "When someone tells you to move...MOVE!" And with that Rose viciously kicked the already injured boy in the ribs. Rose smiled thinly.

"Now, go sit where you did last year, just like everyone else has. Go on, remove yourself," Rose said pointing towards the third long table on the far right side of the Hall. The kid slowly crawled away, as everyone pointed and laughed at him as he went to his seat. Rose sat back down next to Lavitz. He stared at her with a small smirk on his face. She glanced over at him.

"What," she asked. His smirk grew.

"You know," he finally said after a moment, "You _are_ evil!" Rose thought about that for a moment then smiled nastily.

"Only a little," Lavitz laughed and Rose chuckled softly. The two teens talked to each other as the seats in the room quickly filled. The last few stranglers rushed in class and took their seats. Lavitz looked down at his watch. The hands on its face read 8:20. Dart was now officially tardy to Master Tasman's class on the first day of school. The instructor was not going to be happy about that. At the same time this was happening, the door to Master Tasman's office opened and out walked the man himself.

Master Tasman was an amazing man. Wearing a gray suit with a gold silk suit vest with matching gold silk tie, Master Tasman looked younger than the 42 years he really was. Under the lines of his clothes you could see his bulging muscles, which took years of hard conditioning to create. His graying auburn hair flowed wildly down to his shoulders; his short beard carried with it a single gray strip under his lip. Everyone became silent as he walked to the front of the class to begin his lesson.

He looked around the class, searching the faces of his students, identifying them. As he got to the center of the room, his eyes landed directly on the three empty seats next to Rose, one of which usually housed Dart's butt. Tasman instantly zeroed in on it. Lavitz and Rose looked at each other, already aware what was about to happen. Sure enough, it did. Master Tasman cleared his throat, then looked back up at Lavitz and Rose.

"Slambert, Slade stand up," the tall man ordered in his deep voice. The two stood instantly. He looked at them both.

"Where is Feld," there was a slight tone of exasperation in his voice.

"He went to the Principal's office, sir," Lavitz spoke up quickly. Tasman looked at him sharply, then turned his gaze towards Rose, who wasn't frazzled in the least.

"Is this true Slade?" Rose nodded.

"Yes, as far as I know." He nodded then motioned for them both to sit back down. Lavitz sighed heavily as he did so, glad to return his ass to its rightful place. Rose didn't seem to care as she indifferently yawned her way back into her seat. Master Tasman looked back in the general direction of the class.

"Well then, with the exception of our late student, I trust everyone who is supposed to be in this class is here," he waited for a moment before he continued.

"Good. Then for those of you who do not know me my name is-" At that moment, the doors to the Master's Hall were flung open. Everyone turned in their seats and looked up at the doors to see who could possibly be entering.

*****

Shana and Miranda both gasped in awe as they entered the Master's Hall. Behind the old, splintered wooden doors and tarnished brass handles was the one of the largest and most spectacularly beautiful rooms either had ever been in. Along the front and side walls of the Hall were beautiful paintings of epic battles that happened long ago in Serdian history. The paintings were so well done that it seemed as though the portraits were moving, actually fighting the battles that they were supposed to be portraying.

If at all possible, the ceiling of the Hall was even more beautiful than the walls. Up above, etched into the dome shaped, marble ceiling were two massive carvings. One was of the united Serdian Crest, the other was the Basilian Crest; both in made of gold and shimmered brilliantly in the bright light. Surrounding each of the crest were images of the many weapon skills employed by the Basilian Army. These were so skillfully cut into the marble that at first glance, a person would have thought they were already in the marble when it was taken out of the quarry.

Back on the ground, surrounding the three marble staircases were some of the most amazing statues ever carved. Each of the statues were cut with absolute life-like precision, all of which were devoted to the many heroes of Serdio. The spectacular carvings were all in some pose or another, standing as though at any moment, they would come to life and walk amongst the students. To give the marble show pieces an even greater edge, each one was adorned in the same armor and weapons the ones whose images they bore carried with them in life, refurbished and polished till they glistened in the light of the many torches that illuminated the Hall.

Down the three winding staircases, were dozens of long tables, behind which a number of eyes stared at the teens as they entered. The bases of the tables were made of the same marble that the floors and ceiling was made of. The table tops were made of aged mahogany wood. It was quite surprising that in all the years the hall had been in its place, no one had tarnished the beauty of the wood by carving their names or sticking gum under the tables. It showed how much the students respected the environment that they had found themselves in.

Down the dozens of rows, was a podium, behind which stood a very stern looking man with auburn hair, a graying beard and wearing a silver suit and matching gold dress shirt and tie. He stared up at Dart and the girls as they descended down the cascading stairs lightly rapping his fingers across the stand.

"Feld," he said shortly, "Front and center, _now_." Dart doubled his pace as he ran down the stairs towards the instructor. As Shana and Miranda followed behind, the teacher raised his hand motioning for them to stop.

"I called for Feld, not you two. Stay where you are until I ask for you to come forward," he commanded. Shana immediately caught a hint of Miranda's anger surging out. Just as the girl opened her mouth to yell at the old man, Shana stepped on her foot, silencing her before she got them into even more trouble.

*****

As he ran down the stairs towards Master Tasman, the only thought rushing around in Dart's head was, _this is the worst fucking first day of school ever!_ He stared straight ahead as he descended into the "Pit" as everyone called it. He realized that he was fast approaching the row that he usually sat in. Sitting in his seat by the aisle was Lavitz with a look on his face that seemed to say, "You fucked up royally today my friend." Next to him was the raven haired beauty Rose, who had a smug look on her face. When he sat down he knew he was really going to have to get into both of them, assuming Tasman didn't make him scrub and polish the armor on the 117 statues surrounding the Hall. As he got closer to them, Dart quickly yanked off his backpack and threw it over to Lavitz, who passed it to Rose, who sat it in the empty chair next to her.

After another three seconds of running, Dart found himself face to face with the fierce Master Tasman. They stood in the front of the class, staring each other in the eyes for a few seconds. It was silent, as the class waited in anticipation for what punishment would be inflicted on the tall blond. Master Tasman spoke first.

"Mr. Feld what time is it," he asked already knowing the answer. Dart quickly looked down at his time piece, then looked Tasman back in his eyes.

"It is exactly 8:22 a.m sir," Dart answered. Tasman nodded his head, his gaze never leaving Dart's face.

"By what time do I ask that all my students to be in class," he asked. Dart groaned little before he answered.

"8:20 a.m. sir." Master Tasman nodded again, then moved around from behind his podium. He walked toward the front row and stood in front of them before he turned to Dart, who had his back to him.

"Well, since you obviously know what time you should be in class, would you please tell me why you are late," he asked though he already knew the answer. Dart spoke loud enough for Tasman and the class to hear.

"I was in Principal Lee's office, sir."

"For what reason, Feld," Tasman asked, his thoughts immediately centering on the two girls who walked in with the blond. For merely a moment Dart hesitated on his answer before he spoke again.

"I was asked to escort Princess Shana Nisalis and Sister Miranda Stokehaven of Mille Seseau to their classes for the week, sir," inwardly Dart groaned at his response. He knew that there was no point in trying to hide the identities of the girls' since Isha was probably going to spread it around anyway, but he still would have preferred having them introduce themselves. Though he could not see it, he heard the sound of many heads turning to face the two girls in the back of the room. His face turned red as he unwittingly embarrassed his two new friends. He turned his head slightly, just enough to see his instructor's face. There was no expression on his face, while internally the gears in his brain turned. _So it is true_. He continued on Dart.

"I trust you have a pass." Dart reached into his pocket and tried to fish out his pass. Dart sighed before he set the pass on Tasman's podium. Tasman looked at it before he spoke again.

"You can take your seat, Feld." After hearing those words, Dart turned, quickly bowed, then sprinted to his seat. While he ran up the flights of stairs, he heard Master Tasman's voice below him.

"Ladies, please come forward."

*****

Shana and Miranda looked at each other as they realized that Master Tasman was talking to them. They quickly rushed toward him not knowing exactly what to expect from the older man. From what Shana could see, the man was fierce, and she found herself a little intimidated by him. Miranda too felt a little anxious about the meeting. She hadn't met anyone who had could make a student scared by just looking at them. The mere thought of it made almost her want to rethink her "badassousity".

The two girls' averted the stares of their new classmates while they made their descent towards the stern looking man below. Shana was soon nearing the row where Dart was sitting. As she passed him the two made eye contact and Dart smile at her reassuringly. She felt herself relax a little that is until she looked at the black haired girl who sat next to him. She stared coldly at Shana, her dark blue eyes boring deep into Shana's soul. A chill went down her spine as she quickly turned her head back towards Master Tasman. Something about that girl scared Shana to death, and she hoped never to find out what that something was.

The girls finally made their way to Master Tasman, his annoyance of them evident by the expression on his face. He looked at the two of them shortly before speaking.

"Alright ladies", he said gruffly," My name is Artemidor Tasman, better known as Master Tasman. And that is what I am." His eyes were sharp as daggers as he stared at the girls in front of him.  
"I am a master of 17 different forms of martial arts, a master swordsman, a Level 7 Magician, and the founder of the Golden Hearts Mercenary Group. I have fought in hundreds of wars in places that you two have never even heard of," there was a hint of displeasure in his voice as he spoke to the girls. He stared at them with a mixture of annoyance and disgust.

"I have personally trained hundreds of the finest soldiers and knights this planet has ever seen people who _earned_ their right to train under me." Miranda's eyes bulged slightly after this statement. This time Shana wasn't able to hold her tongue.

"So what, you mean to say we're not _worthy_ to be taught by you?" Master Tasman walked up quickly to the fiery redhead, who buckled under his furious stare. He spoke slowly like he was speaking to a child.

"Yes, that is exactly what I am saying." He stared coldly into her eyes as he towered over her. Miranda suddenly felt very small as she stared up at the man fearfully.

"Just checking," Miranda squeaked as she gulped down the bile that had risen into her throat. Tasman withdrew himself from in front of her. He then turned his back to both of them as he went on, the class listening silently.

"Under normal circumstances it takes a student three years to even be _considered_ to be a part of my class. I am highly selective of my students and only chose the cream of the crop. Which is why I have a problem with you two," he turned back to face Shana and Miranda, both of whom were red with embarrassment.

"I didn't chose to have either of you to be in this class," the irritation he felt was obvious in his voice, "You two were forced on me by the administration, something that I do _not_ appreciate." He stared at the two nerve-racked girls for a long moment, then he looked at the class positioned behind him.

"Slambert, weapons shed," he yelled out. Both Shana and Miranda watched as a stocky, short haired, blond boy ran down the stair case towards a door on the opposite side of Master Tasman's office. A moment later, the tall blond emerged from the shed carrying a large rack of weapons. He pushed the rack to Master Tasman stopping beside the stern teacher. Lavitz bowed, then returned to his seat. Tasman turned his back to the girls once again, then walked to the back of the room and placed his hand on the marble wall. Before Shana and Miranda's eyes, the wall opened up to reveal a massive training area. The room was unbelievable to say the least.

Within it lied a full Olympic sized track, state of the art work out equipment, a sparring mat, a magic training center, and what appeared to be a shotting range. The girls gaped at the expansive space in front of them, not sure what was happening. Tasman turned back to the two of them, his face now void of emotion.

"In order to make space for the two of you, I had to get rid of two other students. Good students who had worked hard for their place in this class." He pointed over to the weapon rack, his eyes never looking away from the girls'.  
"I understand that the two of you are apparently archers. Pick your bow, and grab 5 arrows, then approach the shooting range." Shana and Miranda hastily did as they were told, awaiting Master Tasman's next order. He walked up behind them and spoke again.

"Alright, here's the deal girl's," he said briskly, "There are 5 targets in front of each of you. If you look real closely, you'll notice that my targets aren't like the one's you're used to." Shana and Miranda squinted their eyes, as they looked at the targets. They were surprised to see that within the small red spot known as the bull's eye, there was an even smaller black spot in the center of the bull's eye.  
"That ladies, is simply called "The Mark". It's how I test the skill of my archers. To hit the dead center of that spot means that you are one hell of an archer." He stared at them, then move to his podium. He pressed a button and the targets that were just in front of the two girls began to move, stopping at multiple distances the last one at 15 yards (Yeah, the training area is that huge).

"Since I haven't had the chance to assess your skills, I have no choice but to test you now. If I am not satisfied in your abilities, I'll be removing you two from my class."

"Master Tasman, that hardly seems fairs." Everyone looked back, to see Dart standing. His face was deeply serious as he stared down at his mentor. Tasman stared back up at him.

"When is combat ever fair, Dart?"

"That's hardly the point, sir. It's not right forcing such a situation onto them. It wasn't their fault that the school removed Dante and Verelo from the class. You shouldn't punish them for that." Tasman smiled. This was one reason why he liked Dart. The boy didn't mind standing up for what he believed in.

"True, but I can't determine where I'm to start with them if I don't test them. Now can I?"

"But-"

"Its alright Dart." Shana said. Tasman turned to face her, interested in what she had to say.

"If Master Tasman thinks this is necessary, then we are not going to complain. Right Miranda?" The tall red head smiled.

"Of course not. Its not in my nature to back down from a challenge." Tasman glanced back at Dart.

"Satisfied?" Dart looked at the two girls worriedly then sat back down. Tasman returned his attention to the two foreigners, and gave them their instructions.

"Okay," He started, "I want arrows in the dead center of all of those targets...You have 10 seconds," He looked at his watch, "Starting now. GO!"

Immediately, Shana and Miranda assumed the customary archer's pose, and began to fire their arrows. The room was quiet as the two young noble women fired off a series of shots so fast and so precise, you could almost see the arrows cut through the air as they hit their marks. 6 seconds later, the two girls lowered their bows and turned to face their instructor and the rest of the class. Everyone's faces (including Master Tasman's) were masks of surprise and amazement from the spectacle they had just witnessed. In the entire history of the class, only three people had ever been able to hit the black "Marks" on the targets...Shana and Miranda had just become the second and third ones to do it. For a moment, no one spoke as they all tried to process what they had just seen. Master Tasman was the first to recover.

"All right then. Nasalis, Stokehaven, welcome to the class. I believe there are two seats available next to Feld. Take them, they belong to you now." The class cheered as they welcomed their two new classmates. Shana blushed a deep scarlet from all the attention, while Miranda just shrugged her shoulders and began to walk towards her seat. Shana followed suit. She smiled as she sat next to Dart, who beamed with glee at the thought that he'd be spending more time with her.  
"Oh right," he said, "Let me introduce you guys to some of my friends. This is Sir Lavitz Slambert. He's also in Albert's Court." he pointed to the stocky guy who brought out the weapons. He smiled brightly and held out his hand.

"Hey, nice to meet you." Shana smiled back at him and shook his hand. Miranda did the same though she didn't actually smile.

"And this," he pointed to the raven haired girl next to him, "Is Rose Slade."

"Hello," she said curtly. Shana said "hi" back, though the dark haired girl still intimidated her for some reason. Miranda, on the other hand, ignored her completely and continued to speak to Lavitz.

"Slambert? That name sounds familiar..." Lavitz chuckled.

"Does Servi Slambert mean anything to you?"

"Yeah, I have one of his books _The Articles of Service_. Are you related to him?" She asked.

"He was my father."

"Oh, what an honor!" She exclaimed.

"It's an honor to be the son of a man who was stabbed in the back by one of his own men at his peak? That's a pretty stupid thing to say...Then again," Rose said looking Miranda over, "You don't look all that smart anyway." Dart smacked his forehead in disbelief. Lavitz groaned as he tried to hide his face behind a book. Shana looked carefully over at Miranda, whose face showcased her obvious annoyance with the dark eyed girl.

"Well, pardon me Miss 'My life is so shitty I have to put other people down in order to make myself feel good' for thinking being the son of a man who brought chivalry into the modern age was an honor. I'm so depressed! Maybe I should paint my fingernails black, put on some dark eye shadow, cut myself in order to bleed out the pain in my life, and cry myself to sleep tonight? Perhaps you could help me out with that?"

"Or maybe I can just find you a nice little lesbo for you to clam dive on? Maybe having a face full of pubes will help what's left of your poor brain cells function properly...Oh wait, hold on," Rose pulled out her black skull covered Razr cell phone, opened it and put it to hear ear, "Hello? Oh, what's that? Really? You don't say? Oh, that's horrible. Yeah, I'll let her know. Okay, bye." She hung up her phone and glanced over at Miranda. There was an expression of mock sadness on her face as she spoke.

"Sorry, looks like that won't work. Your last brain cell just committed suicide. Said it couldn't stand living in the head of some dumb bitch any longer. Sorry. Actually.......No I'm not." There was silence in the group. Dart was shaking his head as he wondered whether the universe decided that today was "Fuck Dart In The Ass Day" and forgot to tell him about it. He looked over at Miranda, who appeared ready to shoot back a retort to Rose's latest assault. Dart held his arms out between them.

"No. We're done with this. _Now_. We clear?" He looked back and forth between Rose and Miranda. They glared at each other for a moment, then turned and faced front. Lavitz sighed.

"It's gonna be one hell of a school year," Lavitz said as he opened his notebook, and started taking notes for Master Tasman's first lecture of the year. The others did the same and all was quiet. For the rest of class, neither Rose nor Miranda uttered so much a syllable.

*****

"Alright! For homework, I want you all to memorize the Decadrie Doctorine! I'll be randomly calling people out to recite it, and you don't want to know what I'll do to you if you don't know it," Master Tasman yelled over the ringing of the period bell, "Class is over! I'll see you all on Monday! Nasalis, Stokehaven; front and center please."  
Dart and the others look down at Master Tasman for a moment before heading down to the front of the class. He looked over at the two girls.

"We'll meet you outside, in a sec." The two nodded and started down the stairs. The three other teens walked out of class and waited by the door.

"What the hell does Tassy want with them now?" Lavitz asked.

"I don't know, maybe he wanted to tell Shana that she has shitty taste in bodyguards." Rose said softly. Lavitz chuckled while Dart looked at her with disdain.

"What the hell was that all about any way? You just meet Miranda and you're already at her throat." Rose thought for a moment, searching for a proper answer.

"I don't like her hair." Dart and Lavitz stared at her, not sure what to say.

"Her.....Hair? You don't like her hair? That's it?" Dart said.

"That's sick." Lavitz shook his head. Rose shrugged.

"As for her, I don't know what her problem with me is."

"Maybe it was your 'lesbo clam diver' comment? You think that may have done it sweetheart?" Lavitz said angrily.

"Who's a lesbo clam diver?" The group turned to see Albert and Kongol standing behind them. Dart chuckled as he began to tell them the story of how Rose made a new enemy. While Kongol had doubled over with laughter, Albert looked absolutely horrified.

"You said this in front of the Princess of a country who cooperation we need?! What the fuck Rose?" Rose shuffled uncomfortably on her feet.

"Rose for the love of the sky, you know what's been happening around here. We're nearly at a state of war right now and having the Mille Seseau military as an ally could deter that. Please, for me, don't start a major geopolitical catastrophe...Okay?" Rose, stared at him and sighed.

"Fine. But that bitch better not annoy me." Albert stared at her exasperatingly.

"Everyone annoys you Rose."

"Yeah and that's their faults." Dart chuckled while Albert raised his hands in exasperation.

"Just don't make me have to go to war with two countries instead of one, huh?" Rose smiled softly.

"Now that's a deal." She held out her hand and Albert begrudgingly shook it. Kongol walked up to them and rested his massive arms on their shoulders.

"Aw, now we're one big happy family again." The doors to the Hall opened and out stepped Shana and Miranda. Rose and Miranda stared at each other heatedly for a few seconds then Rose walked away. Miranda scoffed. Dart looked at Albert and Kongol and then turned his attention to Shana.

"Right. I should introduce you now. Princess, Miranda, this is Kongol," Kongol smiled and waved. Dart turned his attention to Albert. "And this is Prince Albert, the ruler of our country." Albert smiled as he walked over to Shana.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Shana smiled and was about to bow before Albert stopped her.

"Please, don't. It's not like we're at some formal dinner or anything. We're in school. Relax!" He said with a laugh. As he laughed, Miranda's face began to glow a soft red. At that moment, Albert's attention turned towards her. She blushed even deeper as Albert began to talk to her.

"I'm sorry. I hope it didn't seem like I was ignoring you. I'm Prince Albert, but you can call me Albert or Al. Your name is Miranda right?" She nodded clumsily. Albert smiled brightly at her. _Good Gods he's gorgeous _Miranda thought. He looked over at Rose who stood skulking up against a wall.

"I hope you she didn't upset you too much. Rose has a very...._unique _personality. She can be a bit of a handful but once you get to know she's not so bad." Miranda just blushed and smiled.

"Good lord Albert! I think you broke the poor girl." Kongol said loudly. Miranda fell out of her trance at once and shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

"I'm just fine thank you!" she said. Shana looked at her and smiled.

"Aw, Miranda! I've never seen you look so cute before! If we keep this up, I might actually be able to see you in a dress before I turn 90!" Everyone (including Rose) laughed. Miranda pouted and walked away, choosing to lean against the wall opposite Rose. They stared at each other for a long moment, until Miranda looked down at her feet. She beamed as she stared at Rose's boots.

"Are those Mad Madison Dead Enders?" Rose looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah, they're vintage versions from the 90's though. I don't much care for her newer designs." Miranda nodded.

"The new designs are way too mainstream and poppy. I was done with those when I found out she made Avril Lavigne a pair of originals. I was like 'What the fuck? Didn't you say you hated people like that poser a couple years back?" Rose beamed.

"That's exactly what the hell I said! Ever since then, I only buy my Mad Maddy's from thrift stores. At least that way, the bitch doesn't get any of money." Miranda nodded in agreement.

"Amen to that." Rose smiled, and the two continued to talk about underground fashion crazes. Dart, Lavitz and Shana stared at them in confusion.

"Weren't they just angry at each other like two seconds ago?" Shana questioned. Kongol smiled and laughed heartily.

"That's the thing about women, you people start talking about fashion and you and your worst enemies are now best friends." Rose and Miranda burst into laughter. Dart shook his head and turned towards Kongol.

"Speaking of friends, what are you two waiting here for?" Albert chuckled.

"Oh, we have Tasman next. You guys just got out right?"

"Yeah, and we should be heading to our next class. Right Darty?" Lavitz prodded. Dart caught what he was trying to say in an instant. "TAKE THE PRETTY PRINCESS TO HER NEXT CLASS YOU DOUCHE!!!" Dart smiled at him and Lavitz winked back at him.

"Yeah, I have to escort Shana and Miranda to their next class. Sorry guys." Albert nodded as Kongol moved so that the three could squeeze through. Rose and Miranda watched them as they walked towards them. Almost simultaneously they pushed off their respective walls and began to walk behind their friends. Albert called after them.

"Oh, before I forget. Shana, Miranda you guys eating with anyone at lunch?" Shana and Miranda looked at each other and shook their heads no

"Then eat with us! Lunch is after fourth hour. You'll get to meet Meru!" Kongol said. Rose sighed.

"We're trying to be their friends Kong, not scare them away with terrorist tactics. Meeting Meru should be the last thing they should get excited about." The tall giant pouted at Rose, who smiled softly at him, before turning her attention towards to two new girls.

"You guys should eat with us. Lunch is hectic as all hell. You'll need to be around people like us who know what they're doing." Rose said in a tactical manner.

"Yeah, we'll be able to get to know you guys better. Plus you don't want to get stuck eating with the cheerleaders" Lavtiz added. Shana and Miranda watched as all the others cringed at the thought. She didn't know why it was bad to eat with the cheerleaders, but she figured she'd learn later. She looked at Miranda who shrugged.

"They seem like good people," was her response which was the closest thing to an outright "Let's do it!" as Shana was going to get out of the girl.

"I'd really like it if you guys joined us," Dart said. Shana stared at him as he gave her one of his patented charming smiles. She sighed.

"Okay, we'll join you guys! Happy?" The group laughed as Albert and Kongol walked into to the Hall.

"See you in a two or so hours."Albert waved back.

"Later guys," Kongol said as he followed behind Albert. Dart and his group walked on towards the main hallway. After looking at their schedules, Rose and Lavitz walked away as they headed for their next class on the eastern side of the school. Dart, Shana, and Miranda head north towards their next class "Curative Magics". As they walked and talked Dart asked about why Master Tasman wanted talk to them.

"Oh," Shana gasped forgetting all about the conversation she had with Tasman, "Master Tasman wanted me to ask you about something called 'Y.H.G' and joining it." Dart's face was a mixture of surprise and joy.

"It's a student organization here at the school. It's supposed to better prepare kids who want to have a career in combat. We're kinda like a sports team, we go to tournaments and all that, but we also get the chance to get ourselves hired by highly important companies or groups early in our lives. I'm the president of the organization. And I'm pretty sure Tasman isn't asking you guys to join, he was telling you that you _are _joining. He probably already has you on the members list." They stared at him in confusion. Dart smiled, "I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice...Welcome to the Young Heroes Guild. Our first meeting is after school today. You'll be there."

For the first time, Shana had a chance to see what the warrior Dart may have looked like. His pupils had somehow transformed and became long and sharp like snakes. His demeanor, his footing, the way that he was moving was totally different from his normal personality. Even his smile, which had earlier seemed warm and inviting, had become fierce and intimidating. Miranda had subtly moved in front of Shana, though she herself had found her heart beating uncontrollably. _I think I'm afraid of Dart_ she realized. Dart's grin widened.

"I can assure you both of that much," his voice had become chillingly cold. As suddenly as this new side of Dart appeared, he blinked his eyes and he was back to his old self. He turned away from them and began to walk away.

"Well come on guys. I need to get you both to your class before the next bell rings. I don't want you guys being late twice on the first day. Let's go." And with that, the three walked on, continuing on with their education.

********

End of Chapter 2


End file.
